Ocean, nature, critters, and recreation

February 2015

Feb 27, 2015

Whale watching does not often involve violence, but this week off Maui, Kate Cummings witnessed and photographed a bonafide clash of titans.

Specifically, several male humpback whales, weighing 30 to 40 tons apiece, fighting to establish dominance in the presence of a female.

This is the end of breeding season in Hawaiian waters, and brawls such as this occur, but rarely are they photographed in such vivid detail (note the blood materializing on the whale’s tubercles).

Cummings, a naturalist who runs Blue Ocean Whale Watch in Monterey, California, provided the sequence for this story.

She has witnessed all sorts of humpback whale activity during the feeding season off Monterey, but the fighting, she said, is far more typical in Hawaii.

“A few years ago I was out on a research boat in Monterey Bay and saw something that looked like competitive behavior–humpbacks chasing each other, doing head lunges etc.,” Cummings said. “I was informed it was most likely competitive group of male humpbacks pursuing a female. I was surprised to hear this since this type of behavior is mostly observed in their breeding grounds.

“But now after seeing what I saw [Wednesday] off Maui, I'm totally convinced it was a competitive group I observed years ago. The males were acting the same way–lots of head lunges (or head rises–whatever you want to call it), surfacing rapidly and rolling to the side in the direction of another whale.

“It was only this time though, that I got to see the bloody tubercles, which made it obvious these guys were competing aggressively.”

The whales now in Hawaiian waters spend the summer feeding off Alaska. The whales that visit Monterey each spring and summer to feed are nearing the end of their breeding season off Mexico.

Cummings was with Ultimate Whale Watch out of Lahaina. The engines were turned off so the only sounds were those of the battling humpbacks.

"They were far off at first, then surfaced next to us only about 50 feet away," Cummings said. "They were so involved in their brawl, yet totally aware of the boat and were able to dive down right next to us within just a few feet without touching the boat."

The images show one whale trying to push another downward.

Imagine the force of 40 tons of fury, then, and the strength required to resist such force.

Here’s hoping the best male humpback whale prevailed, and that the female was satisfied with the result.

Feb 19, 2015

Folks might recall the saga of an abandoned dog named Shaggy, who has eluded capture in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for six months, despite being seen almost daily in neighborhoods and walking alongside residents out walking their dogs.

We can now report that Shaggy, a large Newfoundland believed to be about 2 years old, is on the verge of being captured in a nearby suburb.

Shaggy, who has outwitted animal-control experts armed with a net gun, and has only become more skittish when tranquilized, has for the past several days been hanging out at a private residence where yet another attempted capture will soon occur.

A reluctant Shaggy investigates the garage; photo by Haley

The dog, whose plight became known nationally and internationally about three weeks ago, for the past several days he has been eating from a dog dish placed just inside the garage of a home in Ada.

He sleeps in a cardboard-and-tarp doghouse beneath a tall pine tree in the yard, which along with his bear-like coat helps him stay warm in sub-freezing temperatures. By day he enjoys playing with the family’s two Airedales.

“It’s just this green cylinder toy that makes a noise when he squeezes it,” Haley, one of the home's residents, said in a phone interview. “He’ll chase it and pick it up, but he won’t bring it back.”

But despite Shaggy having finally attained some kind of structure, after having spent night after night in ravines and roaming other neighborhoods, he remains ultra-cautious about people and so far has not allowed anyone to pet him.

And nobody has tried, according to Melissa Borden, who owns a rehab facility for feral dogs and is coordinating the effort to catch Shaggy. She explained that any sudden moves by the Stubbarts or their friends toward Shaggy might result in him running away, and not returning.

The plan so far has been to keep feeding Shaggy, moving his dish a little farther inside the garage each day, allowing him to get comfortable inside the garage. The main garage door has been left open.

Then on capture day, the garage door will be closed, and the smaller side door to the garage will be left open. Shaggy’s food will be placed inside the smaller door, and since he’s familiar with the garage, it's hoped he'll venture in, looking for his meal.

Once that happens, the door will be pulled closed with a string, and Shaggy, believed to have been a puppy-mill dog, will be driven to The Devoted Barn outside Detroit.

Borden said Thursday that the first capture attempt could be Thursday night or Friday, or on the weekend. “We’re not in a huge rush, and despite the cold we know he’s not going to freeze to death,” Borden said. “So we want to make sure the timing is right.”

Assuming Shaggy is captured by this method, and that’s assuming a lot given Shaggy’s wily elusiveness so far, he will be kept at the evoked Barn until he’s ready to be put up for adoption.

Hawaii’s Kona Coast is one of the world’s premier destinations for giant marlin, and the most sought-after prize is a billfish topping 1,000 pounds, or a grander.

That dream is rarely realized but on Wednesday, 16-year-old Kai Rizzuto, while visiting from New York, landed a blue marlin weighing 1,058 pounds, while fishing aboard the Ihu Nui.

It was Rizzuto’s first blue marlin and the first grander caught this year off Kona.

Rizzuto, grandson of Hawaii fishing author Jim Rizzuto, is believed to be the youngest angler ever to have landed a grander off Kona.

Though the growing trend is to release large billfish, Kai’s fish succumbed after a ferocious 30-minute battle, so it was hauled to port and weighed in Kailua-Kona.

For second-generation Captain McGrew Rice and crewman Carlton Arai, who have been fishing for much of their lives off Kona, it was the third grander they’ve brought aboard the boat.

Only a handful of granders are landed each year in Hawaiian waters. The largest blue marlin ever landed on rod and reel weighed 1,805 pounds and was caught off Oahu by multiple anglers in 1971.

Jim Rizzuto, who also was aboard Ihu Nui, described his grandson’s hookup via email:

“We saw the fish jump and immediately went into ‘big-fish mode.’ That meant going hard right from the start. Carlton Arai is world-famous for being cool and calm, but he yelled, ‘Big Fish’ at the top of his lungs and flew across the deck to get the angler settled and bring in the [other] lines.

“The fish tore up the surface from port to starboard and back, which kept us close. Carlton told Kai to push the drag to ‘sunset’ (full bore), and lean on the fish for maximum advantage. McGrew kept after the fish wherever it went. When it got close after 30 minutes, it rolled over and was done. At that point, all matters of possible release became moot.”

Kai Rizzuto tries to gain upper hand against giant marlin

All five people aboard could not hoist the billfish entirely onto the boat, but managed to secure it enough for measurements, which are used to determine a probable weight, so they knew they were bringing in a potential grander.

Said Rizzuto: “By the time we got back to the dock, the news of a potential grander had drawn a big crowd. Lots of cheers when the 1,058 pounds was announced. Kai comes to the Big Island several times a year and has been fishing since he was 2. This was his first blue marlin.”

Rizzuto added that the billfish was not wasted: Marlin meat is very nutritious and is used in a lot of dishes from poke and sashimi to sausages, jerky, tacos, fish cake and other delicacies. This fish was shared widely and there are probably more than 100 people enjoying it now.

Feb 18, 2015

The probable sighting of North Pacific right whales off California's San Miguel Island during the past several days had researchers scrambling Wednesday to board a boat or plane and try to spot and photograph the endangered mammals.

The estimated population for the Northeast Pacific sub-population of these whales is only about 50 individuals, so sightings are exceedingly rare. (The western sub-population off Japan numbers in the low hundreds.)

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the North Pacific right whale is the most endangered whale species on earth.Sightings at San Miguel Island, within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, occurred on multiple days between February 2 and 14, by a shore-based NOAA researcher studying pinnipeds.

He did not have access to a boat and the whales–initially one whale, then two later in the period–were spotted two miles offshore and appeared to leave little doubt as to their identity.

They were robust and broad, mostly black, with no dorsal fins, and with very large, black tail flukes. (North Pacific right whales typically measure 50 to 60 feet.)

The researcher, perhaps because he was so far away and did not have photographic equipment to document the sightings, did not share his observations until leaving the island on Monday.

The Northeast Pacific sub-population typically summers in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska.

Since 1925, there have been only 13 confirmed sightings off California.

In the pre-whaling era there were believed to be about 20,000 North Pacific right whales.

Boaters who spot what might be North Pacific right whales are asked to try to photograph them, particularly the heads and flukes, for ID purposes, and contact NOAA Fisheries.

Feb 09, 2015

Life seems to keep getting better for pro surfer Bethany Hamilton, who in 2003 lost her left arm to a shark while riding waves near her home on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Not only was she able to keep surfing at an elite level, and become the focus of “Soul Surfer,” a feature film showcasing her inspirational story; Hamilton found her “soul mate” in Adam Dirks, a youth minister, and the two were married two years ago–10 years after the shark attack.

Bethany Hamiton photo is courtesy of Noah Hamilton Photography

On Monday, Hamilton and Dirks delivered another major announcement: “So, we have a little surprise for you,” the surfer says in the accompanying video footage: “Baby on board!”

The couple is expecting a baby boy in early June, and would not would not reveal possible names.

“Adam and I found out 5 months ago we are expecting a child!” Hamilton, who turned 25 on Sunday, wrote on her blog. “I’m happy to share this wonderful time in our lives with you! We are looking forward to becoming parents early this summer. I’ve always looked forward to one day being a mom and now that the time is coming; it is pretty nerve-racking.”

Because of her growing pregnancy–22 weeks and counting–Hamilton postponed production of a new film titled, “Surfs Like a Girl.” That project comes shortly after she and Dirks finished third in the CBS reality show, "The Amazing Race."

But so far she continues to ride waves, and recently visited big-wave spots such as Teahupoo in Tahiti, and Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore.

A pregnant Bethany Hamilton and Adam Dirks; video screen grab“

I plan to surf as long as I can," Hamilton says. "Once the belly is pretty big maybe [I'll] just, like mellow it out and spend more time swimming and just enjoying the ocean and doing other activities.”

Hamilton and Dirks refer to this new chapter as merely another adventure, albeit one with obvious challenges, such as raising a baby with one arm.

Hamilton says she'll simply have to "adapt and adjust," as she has to various other challenges so masterfully for the past 13 years.

Feb 04, 2015

Scuba divers on a recent excursion to Mexico’s Socorro Island were part of a scene that was so magical and idyllic that it will remain in their minds forever: a mother humpback whale and her newborn calf, along with a male escort, playfully going about their day seemingly without a care.

But the same divers, a day later, would learn how quickly and dramatically nature can turn things around; how a scene that was so wonderful one day could be so heart-wrenching the next.

Those magical moments were to be some of the last in the very short life of the baby whale, thanks to the arrival of two hungry and aggressive male killer whales.

“A bit of sadness hung with everyone for the rest of the day,” Steve Hinczynski, a passenger aboard the Solmar V, wrote on Facebook. “We all know that is how things work in the ocean (and nature in general). There are hunters and there are prey, and each needs the other to survive. While we only had a short time with the calf, it felt like we lost a close friend that morning.”

The calf, Hinczynski added, had brought joy to the divers by learning, before their eyes, to surface for a breath on its own, then return to its place beside mom.

Hinczynski’s stunning photos, which he allowed to be used with this story, illustrate the beauty of a dive with a humpback whale family in gin-clear water. The killer whale image was captured by Lisa Sorensen, with a GoPro camera on a pole. The video shows the brief killer whale attack from above the surface. This could be the first documentation of a killer whale attack on humpback whales in Mexican waters.

The killer whales, believed to be Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas, arrived just after a morning dive at nearby Roca Partida.

The humpback whales were still in the area. Half the divers were back aboard the mother ship, the Solmar V, and others had been picked up via inflatable boat, and another group was about to enter the water, using snorkeling gear, when the shout came: “Killer whales!”

We’ll spare the gory details of a quick battle and its aftermath, other than to say that both adult humpback whales fought ferociously–with the male escort at one point launching his body onto one of the killer whales–before the orcas had masterfully separated the calf and claimed their prize.

“Then the sadness hit us when we saw mama come up to breathe and exhale a couple of times,” reads a passage on the Solmar V Liveaboard blog. “The sound we made was just sad. We were all shocked.”Later that day, aboard the Solmar V, various emotions were on display.

“Some divers were crying for the baby and mama humpback, others were sad but felt privileged to have witnessed the whole show,” states Antonio Romero, the blog author and dive instructor. “Definitely it was sad to watch a baby taken away from its mama, but it is nature and the cycle of life. We can be lucky to be witness to its power."

It’s worth noting that killer whale attacks on whales, while they are rarely observed, are not uncommon. Many of the humpback whales that visit California boast teeth rake marks caused by killer whale attacks in Mexico, implying that for every young whale that's killed, many more survive long enough to outgrow the threat.

Feb 03, 2015

A massive elk shot by a Wyoming hunter is the largest ever killed with a crossbow, with a rack spanning more than 4 feet in width.

Albert Henderson of Burlington, Wyoming, was informed this week by Safari Club International that the animal he shot during the archery-hunting season last fall is a new world record.

SCI uses specific measurements and a scoring system to determine records. Henderson’s elk was scored at 426.5 points, making it only one of a handful of elk to exceed 400 points.

Henderson, 49, shot the elk from 53 yards on the fifth day of a hunt on public land.

News of the feat is being well-received in hunting circles. But as this story spreads via social media, critics are sure to speak out against the hunter, against hunting in general, and against trophy hunting in particular.

Meanwhile, accolades are being heaped from those who support hunting, including Scott Talbott, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

“This is an incredible hunting story and we tip our hats to Mr. Henderson,” Talbott told County 10 News. “Wyoming is home to some of the most impressive wildlife in the world, but not everyone gets to see these animals, let alone hunt them.”

Though Henderson is bound to land squarely in the cross-hairs of critics, it’s worth noting that hunting is not only sanctioned by states, but deemed a necessary tool of wildlife management. Funds generated by tag sales are used for various wildlife-related enhancement programs.

Henderson and his group had spent five days scouting for elk in the Shoshone National Forest. He shot the male elk, which was near several females and rubbing its antlers against a tree, with a crossbow he had borrowed from a friend.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports that Henderson had become a celebrated hunter long before the record was approved.

“The mount has spent the past several months shuttled between sportsmen’s stores and banquets,” the Star-Tribune’s Christine Peterson wrote. “And it may soon find a spot on the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s 2016 tour.”

Said Henderson, 49: “It’s pretty rare to see elk like that anywhere in the state, and probably more rare in general [hunting] areas. Usually in general areas, you have a few less elk and a few more people. That’s why you go out and work so hard for that chance.”

He plans to eventually display the shoulder-antler mount in his home, if he can find a large enough space.

The following story appeared January 28 on GrindTv.com, and was featured on the Yahoo homepage, where it garnered nearly 1 million views. People from around the world have become interested in the plight of Shaggy, who continues to elude animal-control experts who want to save him from the Michigan winter and find him a suitable home.

Avery Sullenger-Wedder, who has been closely following the saga, said Tuesday that enough money has been raised to purchase a net gun, cover medical expenses, and pay for any training Shaggy should need once he's captured. Additionally, a Help Shaggy Facebook page has been established to allow his fans to receive updates and participate on comment threads. As for Shaggy, Sullenger-Wedder said the large furry dog was last seen sunning himself on a resident's driveway.

A large brown dog nicknamed “Shaggy” is making lots of friends in Cascades Township, Michigan, but the abandoned Newfoundland-mix is wary of capture and won’t let anyone take him in.

In fact, Shaggy, so-named because of his long fur, has evaded capture for six months. The 80-pound dog has been spotted several times and even walks alongside people as they walk their dogs, but becomes jumpy and bolts whenever someone tries to get close.

Presumably, Shaggy sleeps in nearby hills and ravines, and survives in the cold with the help of his bear-like fur coat.

“I feel sorry for him. You can just tell that he wants love and attention from a family,” local resident Avery Wedder told MiLive.com. “But it’s sad—he’s so completely unsocialized because he doesn’t know how.”

“We went out with the zoo veterinarian and their tranquilizers,” Daineles said, but explained that the tranquilizers did not work, and that Shaggy is “as skittish as a deer.”

Residents and dog rescue groups, likewise, have failed to catch Shaggy. Residents have been leaving food outside, which Shaggy seems to like, so at least the dog is well fed. But with winter having set in, a more serious attempt will be made to catch Shaggy.

Animal control experts want people to stop feeding the dog, so they can establish a central feeding location that Shaggy will get comfortable visiting.

Then, it’s hoped, he can finally be captured, and toward that end the Kent County Animal Shelter has set up a GoFundMe page, asking for donations so it can purchase a net gun. Because a net gun, seemingly, might be the only way Shaggy can be caught.

Daineles said that once the dog is captured, “We will make sure Shaggy is healthy and fine, and we will transfer Shaggy to a place that can work on behavior modification and placement.”